Jackaroo

Jackaroo, officially Koala Redhot Jumpin Jackaroo, or Jack, was our first Australian Cattle Dog. He is technically my wife’s dog, and he is the first pure-bred dog we ever owned. Australian Cattle Dogs (ACD, also known as Queensland Heelers or Blue Heelers) are an exciting breed: smart, strong, active, and loyal. They are also not for the inexperienced – they have a strong bite instinct (it’s part of how they herd livestock), and can be very dominant and stubborn.

We got Jack from a breeder – he was the first dog we had to really pay for (besides the adoption fees from shelters). Here he is as a puppy:

Jackaroo as a chubby little puppy

Jack is an awesome dog. He is extremely smart, and likes to watch TV. He is something else to watch run agility – he clearly loves it. He is quite loud though – he barks almost constantly.

Here is Jack coming out of the chute:

Breaking out to Freedom

You can see the intensity in his eyes – he is a maniac! I like to describe ACDs to people as a “cinderblock with a lit rocket straped to it” – that describes Jack perfectly most of the time. Here is a good shot from a photo session we did that shows how muscular he is:

 

Jack - Looking good!

And another thing about ACDs: they have a permant smile. It’s something about the way the mouth is shaped/colored. Here’s Jack’s:

Jack's Smile

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